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There are a bunch coming out this year (mostly romance/urban fantasy). Roni Loren, a debut author, has two. The first is Crash into You, can’t recall the second one off the top of my head. Elizabeth Hoyt has the 4th in her Maiden Lane series (Thief of Shadows) and I can’t wait for it. Kim Harrison’s next The Hollows book (A Perfect Blood) comes out next month. There are a couple by Douglas Preston/Lincoln Child, including a new Gideon (Gideon’s Corpse) book and a new Agent Pendergast novel (title unknown) both suspense, no romance.

And then I have my first book, paranormal romance, coming from Evernight Publishing, Blood Rage, in February.

I am off to London tomorrow to attend Adam Christopher’s launch event for EMPIRE STATE, a book I am very much looking forward to. After I devour that, I want to go back and pick up Zoo City (because I criminally missed it last year) and then see what is coming out.

Oh, and of course I will be reading Blackbirds when it comes out, and when I get a half-decent e-reader Shotgun Gravy (the excerpt of which, by the way, was outstanding).

Right now the two I’m most looking forward to are ‘Hide Me Among the Graves’ by Tim Powers, and ‘Monster Hunter Legion’ by Larry Correia. Powers is the reigning #1 on my favorite authors list, and his ability to weave historic people and events into amazing stories never ceases to amaze me. Correia’s Monster Hunter series is the most entertaining action I’ve read in a long time, they’re just flat out fun books!

You already know about this one, but I’m kinda psyched about that “vampires meet the Titanic” book whose author you interviewed a few weeks ago. “Carpathia” I think it was called. If the execution is half as interesting as the concept that one should be awesome.

There’s a “dark” super hero anthology coming out in March from Damnation Books. Goes by the name “Corrupts Absolutely?” and is edited by Lincoln Crisler.

I mention it as my short story ‘Sabre’ is in it, making it my first professionally published work. It also has stories from folks like Joe Mickinney, Jeff Strand, Weston Ochse, and Cat Rambo (those are the cover authors, 22 stories in all.)

My first traditionally published book, an omnibus collecting the first the volumes in The Black Knight Chronicles, will be out late summer by BellBridge Books. I’ll also have a bunch more Bubba the Monster Hunter short stories coming out as self-pubbed works.

I am looking forward to a lot reprints of older stuff, ‘Thunder in the Void’ by Henry Kuttner (space opera), ‘Complete John Thunstone’ by Manly Wade Wellman (horror/occult), two volumes of Karl Edward Wagner’s collected horror stories. Glen Cook’s final ‘Dread Empire’ reprints – plus, a ‘new’ novel that was stolen that he has rewritten that closes out the saga.

Of really new stuff, not reprints, currently I am looking forward to ‘Empire State’ by Adam Christopher and I have just started ‘Southern Gods’ by John Hornor Jacobs.

Because I don’t think I’ve pimped it enough, my first graphic novel, Babble, (in collaboration with Bryan Coyle) is due sometime in 2012 – not exactly sure when, as we’re still putting the finishing touches to it. You can find out more about it at http://www.babblecomic.com.

Also have a few anthology contributions ready to drop this year, too (you can find out more, if you want, by clicking the link under my avatar there).

I’m looking forward to the Dan Krokos debut – FALSE MEMORY. I follow Dan and his agent on Twitter and love the way she raves about him. Hell, while I”m at it, I’m excited to see what her other clients deliver this year!

And I HAVE to pimp my own YA debut, SEND, coming in Aug/Sept. from Sourcebooks! Hope you’ll check it out.

Four women on four different continents penned Beating about the Bush, an erotic satire set in the Africa… bush. It’s listed as a 2011 release (self-published) but didn’t hit Amazon etc till the New Year. The Foreplayers (our author name) hope that counts!http://BeatingAboutTheBush.com

I’m looking forward to all the debuts (non YA/MG) that are coming out in 2012. I’m particularly looking forward to The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, Control Point by Myke Cole, Blood and Feathers by Lou Morgan, Green Light Delivery by Anne Johnson. I could actually list all of them, but that would take up too much space. I’d link to my list but that would be too blog-promote-y. 🙂

I’m most looking forward to ‘The Twelve’ (also appropriately titled to this year) by Justin Cronin. It’s the sequel to his other book ‘The Passage’, which I thought was just extraordinary. He took the concept of a vampire apocalypse and made it spectacular. Not an easy feat I would say. Since the page for ‘The Twelve’ isn’t very exciting yet, here’s the one for ‘The Passage’ : http://www.amazon.com/Passage-Novel-Justin-Cronin/dp/0345504976

Often, my favorite novels are the ones I didn’t see coming, but as far as authors I like coming out with new work this year:

Railsea by China Mieville
In One Person by John Irving
Sorry Please Thank You By Charles Yu
Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
and Distrust That Particular Flavor, William Gibson’s first nonfiction book.

I manage the anthology project, OF ALTERED STATES with 20-odd contributors and I hope it will release within the next few weeks. The first volume will be a free download.

The future will be even more exciting as we’ve managed to attract visual astists, like photographers and illustrators, who are going to provide story illustrations as well as self-contained narrative contributions such as short comics and narrative full-page illustrations. We’re really excited.

We’ll also soon be bringing you an all magical realism Choose Your Own Adventure short story. 🙂

So if you like the sound of our project, keep an eye on our website and come on over later this month to pick up your free copy of the first edition!

Stronger, the sixth novel in my Quantum Prophecy series of YA superhero novels, will be published by Penguin in June (pb of the fifth, The Ascension, coming in July). Lots of info on the series can be found on the website!http://www.quantumprophecy.com

There are a whole passel of books I’m looking forward to. The two I’m most pantingly eager to see on the shelves are:

Cold Days – Jim Butcher
Control Point: Shadow Ops – Myke Cole

Myke’s book I’ve already read (lucky enough to lay hands on an ARC), and I was so pleased by it that I’m anxious for it to hit the shelves so I can badger everyone I know to READ THE DAMN BOOK. A number of reviews are already out, and the ones I can see are universally positive, some outright effusive – and deservedly so. Myke’s not only a fine author but an excellent person as well.

Jim’s book hasn’t even been started yet (he was taking a break after Ghost Story to get his brain back together; if anyone I know has earned one hell of a break, it’s Jim), but with the release date set for the fall, I suspect I’ll start seeing beta-reader chapters soon. What makes me quiveringly impatient for this one is a pair of comments Jim has made:

1) Regarding Changes, Ghost Story and Cold Days, Jim said that they’re designed as an “internal trilogy”, intended to work together. So much happened in the first two that the third HAS to be a humdinger, even if only a few lines get resolved or even advanced.
2) When folks bemoaned the (not going to spoil it for those who haven’t read that far yet) final event of Changes, Jim grinned and said, “Now’s when I finally get to start the FUN stuff.” If books 1-13 weren’t the “fun stuff”, what comes now has to be stupefying.

What am I looking forward to? MILA 2.0 by Debra Drizer (it’s a thriller. With robots) and FIRELIGHT by Kristen Callihan (like Dorian Grey, but less wilting ladyflower, more pyro bitch).

And I do indeed have a novel out this year–Feb, through Lyrical Press. CHAIRMAN OF THE WHORED is a contemporary erotic novel about laywers who can’t behave themselves; they play with knives, sell their bodies and sing to topiary octopi (when drunk, of course). I’m running a giveaway for an advance e-copy right here: http://www.lucyvmorgan.com/2012/01/happy-new-year-win-advance-copy-of.html

I have two books coming out in 2012: Iron Fist of the Oroqs, the sequel to my 2011 debut novel Wings of Twilight; and Zack Jackson & the Cult of Athos, the first in a YA sci-Fi series taking place in the 42nd century.

Iron Fist of the Oroqs follows-up on the characters from Wings of Twilight a year later as they all try to find their place in a world that’s. It quite sure what to make of them.

Zack Jackson follows the adventures of a group Junior Rangers (42nd century boy/girl scouts) as they get marooned on a planet they were supposed to be taking a scouting trip to. There, they run afoul of a group convinced an extinct race holds the key to galactic purification.

There are no pre-order links, but you can keep up-to-date on thier progress at my website, and by following my @hccummings Twitter feed.

I’m cheating on this one slightly, because a couple of the books I’m most excited about, I’ve been fortunate enough to have already begged or borrowed ahead of time. Adam Christopher’s “Empire State” is one, and I’m so pleased to see it getting all this buzz. Another is Will Hill’s “Department 19: The Rising”, the follow-up to his YA debut from last year. Tom Pollock’s “The City’s Son” is another YA to look out for, too, set in the most incredible version of London.

Other than those, Anne Lyle’s “Alchemist of Souls” and Gaie Sebold’s “Babylon Steel” are both on my list, along with the new China Mieville and the new Tim Powers… And there’s this book called “Blackbirds” that I’ve got my eye on…

I’m also incredibly lucky because my own book is coming out in the summer, too: “Blood and Feathers”. Think of it as Alice in Wonderland goes to Hell. With added angels. Angels with guns… (The link’s kind of unwieldy, but you can find it via my Author page if you’re interested: amazon.com/author/loumorgan). And thanks to Qwill higher up the page for mentioning it 🙂

From International Thriller Writers Award winner and Edgar Award nominee Tom Piccirilli comes a mesmerizing suspense novel that explores the bonds of family and the ways they’re stretched by guilt, grief, and the chance for redemption.

Raised in a clan of small-time thieves and grifters, Terrier Rand decided to cut free from them and go straight after his older brother, Collie, went on a senseless killing spree that left an entire family and several others dead. Five years later, and days before his scheduled execution, Collie contacts Terry and asks him to return home. He claims he wasn’t responsible for one of the murders–and insists that the real killer is still on the loose.

Uncertain whether his brother is telling the truth, and dogged by his own regrets, Terry is drawn back into the activities of his family: His father, Pinsch, who once made a living as a cat burglar but retired after the heartbreak caused by his two sons. His card sharp uncles, Mal and Grey, who’ve recently incurred the anger of the local mob. His grandfather, Old Shep, who has Alzheimer’s but is still a first-rate pickpocket. His teenage sister, Dale, who’s flirting with the lure of the criminal world. And Kimmy, the fiancée he abandoned, who’s now raising a child with his former best friend.

As Terrier starts to investigate what really happened on the day of Collie’s crime spree, will the truth he uncovers about their offenses and secrets tear the Rands apart?

Walking the razor-sharp edge between love and violence, with the atmospheric noir voice that is his trademark, The Last Kind Words demonstrates why Tom Piccirilli has become a must-read author.

“Perfect crime fiction…a convincing world, a cast of compelling characters, and above all a great story.”-LEE CHILD

“Tom Piccirilli is clearly a writer to embrace now before he becomes huge. In THE LAST KIND WORDS he takes us inside a mutated family of crooks and unleashes a stunning story that ranges far afield at times but never truly leaves home, a place where shadows grow in every corner. It’s superbly told, with prose that doesn’t mess about or flinch from evil and characters who are best known from a distance.”-DANIEL WOODRELL

Seconding the recommendations for Myke Cole’s “Shadow Ops: Control Point”, Anne Lyle’s “Alchemist of Souls” and Adam Christopher’s “Empire State”, and I like the sound of Lou Morgan’s “Blood and Feathers” too (she had me at “angels with guns”). Go. Read. Enjoy.

My own debut “Songs of the Earth” is released in the US at the end of February (already out in the UK) followed by the sequel, “Trinity Moon” in June (UK; US release date TBA). Straight-up epic fantasy adventure, dash of religious bigotry, hold the elves.

Anyway, this story involves gypsies and a kingdom in Eastern Europe in the early 1500’s. This is a love story, and by far my finest work to date. I got an idea one day, for the most powerful scene I could possibly write, and I wrote this whole book just to perfectly set up this scene. It came out better than I ever hoped. It is powerful, emotional, and outright fuckin’ fantastic. Sex, violence, romance, treason, adventure, whips and chains, and an ending that will rock your socks and blow your mind. It’s fast and hard, sweet and tender, and always powerful. Daddy knows how you like it.

The hard copy will be available in March through my publisher, the e-book versions will be out a little sooner. Anyone interested can check out my website at http://www.TheSolomonPress.com or add me up on Facebook for updates. I’ll be giving out some advance copies to those who are willing to do a review.

Thanks for the pimpage and dubious wisdom, Chuck. You’re the Man. I invested in some of your work, and soon I will invest in the rest of it. Best money I have spent in a long time, sir. I will look through these other upcoming books, as I need to expand the ol’ horizons once more.

THE LADY OF SEEKING IN THE CITY OF WAITING is scheduled to come out in March 2012

From the moment Jane entered the city, she found herself a pawn in a dangerous game between rivals unknown to her. With no real memory of who she is or where she came from, Jane embarks on a quest to uncover her past as well as discover who it is she promised to meet. Fraught with danger, her journey draws her the protection of the guardsman Derax, the cousel of the great Lady Ellowyn, and the most surprising of all, warning of plots and betwrayal by the most powerful oracle in the city. Along this journey to discover herself, Jane encounters a city peopled by the strange, the wonderful, the terrible…and so much more. By quest’s end, she must begin to wonder if Shadeside itself has a stake in her success – as if there could be any doubt…

”Blood Related is a nasty but nuanced take on the serial killer genre. Cook’s bruising tale of twin psychopaths who are as cold as mortuary slabs is not for the weak-kneed.”
— Laird Barron, award-winning author of Occultation and The Imago Sequence.

“Blood Related is a terrifying psychological thriller. William Cook is an author to watch.”
— Mark Edward Hall, author of The Lost Village and The Holocaust Opera.

“William Cook makes serial killer fiction exciting again! Expert narrative, bursting with flare, originality, and enough passion and brutality that even a real-life serial killer will love this book . . . and it’s twisted and complex enough to make you question your own sanity after the first intense read.”
— Nicholas Grabowsky, best-selling author of Halloween IV and Everborn.

“A horrific crime-filled tale of terror that makes us understand why we lock our doors at night, Blood Related is by far the best read I’ve experienced in years.”
— John Paul Allen, author of Monkey Love and Gifted Trust

My own “The Dead of Winter” will be released in November 2012. Described as “True Grit meets True Blood”, it is the story of Cora Oglesby, an itinerant bounty hunter in the American Old West with a knack for taking down “unusual” bounties. When a wealthy British lord hires her to rid his silver mine of the feral vampires infesting it, she finds herself in the path of a sinister intelligence bent on her destruction. To save herself and the town of Leadville, she must confront her own tragic past and the true nature of her husband’s life.

I’m really looking forward to the next Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher books. I’ve also got Karen Marie Moning’s ICED on my radar, though I am a little leery as it will be from the character Dani’s point of view, and I didn’t really care for her in any of the Fever series books. I’m also intrigued by TEAM HUMAN by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier.

Well, I’ve got a whole slew of things coming out this year, thanks for asking! 🙂
First up is Incursion, which just came out, in fact–it’s a supernatural thriller, part of the O.C.L.T. series about a team of men and women who deal with situations beyond the normal pale. Incursion in particular focuses on a pair of FBI agents sent to investigate several deaths on the Flathead Reservation in Montana, only to discover that the deaths are anything but normal. You can pick it up for the Nook here:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/incursion-an-oclt-novel-aaron-rosenberg/1108034464?ean=2940013854987&itm=1&usri=incursion
And it will be out for the Kindle next month and in print in March.

After that is “For This Is Hell,” an eerie dark fantasy I wrote with Steven Savile, which will be out at the end of the month on the Nook and on the Kindle in late February/early March.

Really looking forward to Caitlin Kiernan’s new short story collection “Confessions of a 5 chambered Heart.” & “The Drowning Girl” this year while I continue to plug away at my 2 novels so I can hopefully announce their release some year.

I too am very excited about Jim Butcher’s Cold Days. And now I’ve got six dozen more books to look forward to that I didn’t know about before now. Rest assured I’ll be coming back to this page every time I’m up for something new and special. Everything looks so cool!

In addition, my first professional sale, the short story “Broken Up” will be appearing this spring in the anthology “Sky-Tinted Waters: Tales from the Minnesota Speculative Fiction Writers,” edited by Michael Merriam. There are about twenty stories in total, mostly by folks more experienced and generally better than me.

I must be the only fantasy nerd floating around, because the book I am most terribly excited about is the FINAL INSTALLMENT of the Wheel of Time series!! It’s titled “A Memory of Light” and Brandon Sanderson is finishing it off, now that Robert Jordan is dead. Apparently RJ wrote the actual last few chapters before he died though, so it will be HIS ending. 13 novels and a prequel, and finally, number 14 to finish~ TwT

My upcoming projects for 2012 include an anthology from IDW featuring one of my stories, a superhero anthology edited by myself, a four-novella collection from myself and three colleagues, and the sequel to my weird-western novella from last year. Yes, I thrive on diversity. Thanks for asking!

Tricked, by Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid Chronicles, #4). Found this series by accident and am REALLY enjoying it. Just good fun.

Always look forward to the year’s Dresden Files book as well.

Trying to get my self e-published book out by this summer (Shaman) and have the first draft of another (Hell Division) up on my blog as a serial in 900 word parts. It is, admittedly, missing three chapters in the middle but hey, if anyone has any ideas, drop me a line. Link should take you there, but just in case:

Well now Blackbirds but other than that Siege by Rhiannon Frater which is the final in an awesome zombie series. I swear I love a series as much as the next person but the waiting makes my brain think evil thoughts.

There are a few books that I’m stoked to read this year but in terms of new/upcoming releases:
– “Blueprints of the Afterlife” by Ryan Boudinot (this released in the US last week but the UK has to wait until the 12th)
– “Angelmaker” by Nick Harkaway
– “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green
– “REM” by Jasper Fforde (his first stand-alone novel after several wonderful series)